Marble
Marble is a metamorphic stone derived from the immense heating and crushing of limestone by the earth over millions of years. This process causes crytallization of the stone and any minerals that seep into it thus enabling marble to achieve a highly reflective, polished finish.
Granite
Granite is an igneous stone; one derived from magma that cooled beneath the earth's surface. The addition of minerals into the cooling stone gives granite its wide array of colors and crystalline textures. Granite is the hardest of all the stones which makes it very durable.
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary stone formed over millions of years from the calcium-rich remains of dead animals, usually from bodies of water. The remains are crushed by the Earth's immense pressure, which forms limestone. Noticeable features typically include a smooth, honed surface, occasional pits, the appearance of fossils, shells, and other streaks or spots of calcium-rich deposits.
Travertine
Travertine is derived from limestone that was heated and crushed into marble, then broken up and pushed through the earth's crust by water. The evaporation of the water at the surface leaves behind deposits of calcium-based crystals in layers. Noticeable features typically include little holes caused by water action and the revealed layers.
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained stone derived from shale which itself metamorphosed through heat and pressure from beds of clay. Slate exits in layers that, when split, reveal a natural cleft surface. Typical characteristics are moisture resistance, natural cleft surface, and wide color variation.
Onyx
Onyx is a variety of cryptocrystalline quartz called chalcedony (quartz with a microscopic crystalline structure). Typical features are a waxy, translucent luster with angular bands of contrasting colors.
Onyx is only found in a few parts of the world.
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